The Request
by goblin981
Summary: When Peter is asked to visit Norman Osborn in prison, he wonders what could Osborn possibly was to see Peter Parker for.    I have finished this story, I just need to format it correctly.  I will upload as I get it done.
1. Prologue

Peter looked out the window, down to the water. He was used to being high above the city; but being in a helicopter was different, it seemed unnatural somehow. _What am I doing here? _He wondered. Today was his graduation day. Over at ESU thousands of students were in the robes and caps, waiting to be presented with their degrees. Peter wanted to be there but instead he was on a helicopter headed to Rikers Island. He looked over to Matt who didn't seem phased by it at all. Maybe it was experience, maybe it was the blindness.

The helicopter finally lands and Peter and Matt climb out. A guard waits to escort them. The helipad was a wide open area, with snipers in towers at each of the 4 corners. If a prisoner did brake out and made it to here he wouldn't get any further. Soon they were out of the open area of the helipad and in a series of narrow corridors. Peter took note of each camera they past. One day he might need to sneak into, or out of, here.

When they got to the cells Peter recognised a few faces, they of course didn't recognise him. _It's a strange feeling _he noted _that half the guys in here, are because of us. _He looked at Matt and got the impression he was thinking the same thing. When they got to the meeting room the guard opened the door and let them in, staying outside himself.

The room was pretty small, square in shape. Opposite the door they entered by was another door. The wall to the right was mostly filled by a two-way mirror. In the middle of the room was a small table, sitting on the other side of it was Norman Osborn.


	2. Chapter 1

Many years ago, high above the city, Spider-man is on the Green Goblin's back, causing him to lose his balance. The Goblin's glider is out of control, but Spidey's able to steer a little by webbing the buildings arounds them, though the Goblin's struggling is making it difficult. Eventually the two crash land on top of a building. _Just need to overpower him_ Spidey thinks, _and keep him away from his glider. Today's the day I finally take you down Osborn._

Not too long later, Spider-man is sitting at the computer with Daredevil behind him. _I can't believe what I'm doing, _he thinks. Spidey looks over his shoulder and says, "Are you sure about this?" Daredevil says, "Trust me.", sounding very sure of himself.

"How do you know he's even kept these records?"

Again without a hint of a doubt, Daredevil replies, "They all keep these records. You're sure that Osborn in the Green Goblin?"

"Absolutely."

"So how do you suppose he's funding those goblin exploits?

"Uhh, with gift vouchers?" A joke, and not even a good one. He knew that making jokes to Daredevil was pointless, he wasn't a laughing kind of guy. That could only mean that he was nervous. Of course breaking into Oscorp in the middle of the night and hacking into the C.E.O.'s computer was good reason to be nervous. Spider-man's reputation was bad enough with him actually committing crimes. Daredevil, as expected, skipped the joke and got right back to business. "Funny." "Trust me, this is how they got Capone, it's how I got Fisk; and it's how you'll get Osborn. So think, what's his password?"

Mid-afternoon in Midtown. Peter is walking home from school; alone. Feeling a little down after hard day at school, having to put up with Flash Thompson. His mood picks up when he passes an appliance store and see the news playing on the TVs in the window. Though he can't hear what is being said, he knows what's happened. The headline reads "Norman Osborn arrested for tax evasion." The image show Norman being escorted from the courthouse in handcuffs. Peter smirks to himself, _thanks Matt._


	3. Chapter 2

Norman Osborn was an intimidating man, even restrained as he was. _Calm down Peter, He doesn't know who you are. _That was little comfort. He's taken down the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus; even the Hulk one on one. But a conversation with Norman Osborn terrified him. His spider-sense said there was no danger, but still. _What does he want with me? With Peter?_

Four years ago, Peter's first day at ESU. So far college was looking the same as high school. Although his timetable meant he could be away, as Spider-man, quite a bit more. Walking alone, which he expected to do a lot of, "Hey Parker!" As he heard his name he felt his spider-sense go off. Not wanting to draw attention to himself he simply turned around, and let the football hit him in the face. As he got up he saw Flash Thompson and others laughing hard. _Flash. Great. I'd hoped I'd seen the last of him._ Flash was a bully at Midtown High who, as Peter would later find out, got a football scholarship to ESU. Among the crowd of Flash's gang, unnoticed by Peter, was Gwen Stacy. She wasn't laughing.

Later that day in the cafeteria, Peter is sitting alone having lunch. To Peter's surprise someone sat next to him.

"You're Peter right?"

Peter looks up at the young man. He's average height with short shaven brown hair and brown eyes. Though he couldn't put his finger on it, there was something familiar about this guy. He replied "Ah yeah, how'd you"

"Flash."

"Oh, you're Flash's friend?" Peter said with disappointment. This guy was obviously he to make a spectacle of him somehow. Maybe dip his face in his soup, or just kick his chair out from under him. He was expecting some kind of prank so much that he didn't notice that his spider-sense wasn't going on, not even a tingle.

The familiar face said "I wouldn't go that far. I know the guy. So you went to school with him huh?"

Starting to relax a little Peter noticed his spider-sense, and trusted that this guy was on the level. "Yeah. Lucky me." He said with a smile.

"Forget him, he's a loser. Five years from now you'll be working on the cure for cancer, and he'll be pumping gas and sporting a football injury."

"Heh, yeah I guess."

"Anyway, I'm Harry. Harry Osborn."

And with that Peter knew exactly who he was, and why he looked familiar. Just a few years ago he'd helped to put his father in jail. He couldn't say anything of course; but felt bad about it. So he simply said, "I'm Peter. Parker. But I guess you know that."

Across the cafeteria Flash's crowd were making a lot of noise and having a lot of fun. Again, alone in the crowd was Gwen, silently watching Peter and Harry.


	4. Chapter 3

Among a crowd of thousands of graduating students, Mary Jane is on her tiptoes hoping to see the brown hair of Peter racing towards them. Mary Jane bops down, feet firmly on the ground turns back to Gwen and asks, "Where's Peter."

"I don't know. He said he'd be here." Gwen says calmly. How can she be so calm Mary Jane wonders. Peter is always disappearing or showing up late to things, he's never on time to anything. Where does he go? He not the type that would be out chasing other women. True his job at the Bugle means he has to be on call; but even that doesn't explain why he's always late. Maybe he is out there, risking his neck, taking photos of a back robbery or something. Even if that is true, how can Gwen be so calm about it? So accepting, and trusting?

"Disappeared again? I don't know how you put up with it." She said.

"There's probably some emergency he got called away for." Gwen explained.

"I don't even remember the last time I saw him."

"I saw him a few days ago, when we went to see Harry."

_Harry, when was the last time I saw him? _Mary Jane thought.

Norman looked up and smiled as Peter entered the room. His hands were cuffed, attached to a chain that went down to his cuffed ankles. He was the prisoner, and yet he gave out an aura of power. Peter was he because that's what Norman wanted.

"Hello Peter." He started the conversation.

"Uh, Hi Mr Osborn." _Smooth start._ Peter thought, wanting to sound confident but not cocky.

Norman turns to Matt, "And you are."

"Matt Murdock, Mr Parker's attorney." _How does he do that? _Peter thought. _He's as strong sounding now as he is as Daredevil._

"You brought a lawyer? That was very smart of you." Norman said, clearly disappointed, he had hoped Peter would be a pushover.

Wanting to get this over with Peter said "What do you want Mr Osborn?"

"Straight to the point, I like that. Peter I brought you here because I need your help"

_He needs my help?_


	5. Chapter 4

Six months ago, the Daily Bugle staff are meeting in J Jonah Jameson's office.

"Alright people, what do we have?" Jonah says.

"Someone robbed the 2nd National this morning." A reporter responses.

Jonah not happy with a simple robbery says, "Great! Was Spider-man there?"

The reporter's face tells Peter he's a little disappointed though not surprised by this, he says, "I don't think so."

_Just let him would just let him run the story._ Peter thinks.

No such luck, Jonah wants to attack Spider-man, "Find a way to implicate him and you've got yourself a front page."

_Damn it._

Another reporter says "Harry Osborn is back in rehab."

_I was hoping this would go unnoticed._

"Harry who?" Jonah says.

_YES!_

"Osborn" the reporter replies, "son of Norman Osborn. The Green Goblin."

Jonah not caring says, "What are we? People Magazine? That's not news; the kids a nobody."

Betty Brant, hoping to pick up a story says, "The son of the Green Goblin back in rehab, it is news if we write it up in a 'Crime Doesn't Pay' way."

Jonah concedes, "Fine, we'll put it in the back somewhere. Brant that's yours."

_Well at least Betty's writing it. Could be worse._

"Actually we can't use the goblin angle." Ben Urich cuts in.

"Why the hell not?" Jonah's furious, "It's my paper, I'll use whatever angle I want."

"Because Osborn is suing me."

_Oh no!_

"For your book?" Peter asks, "When did you find out?"

"I got served right before this meeting."

"I'm so sorry Ben."

Jonah screams at Peter, as he does, "Parker shut up. What are you doing here, this is a staff meeting. Staff. You're freelance."

"Actually you made me staff last month."

_I hope he doesn't fire me._

Joe 'Robbie' Robertson backs Peter up, "He's right Jonah you did."

_Good old Robbie_.

"Well. Then. You're fired, get out. No wait, you're not fired, get back here. What've you got?"

Peter hands over the photos, "Spider-man fought the Rhino last night."

Back at Rikers

"Truth be told I need two favours from you. I understand you work at the Daily Bugle." Norman says.

"That's right." Peter replies.

"There's a reporter at the Bugle I'm involved in a court case with."

_I should have known._

"Ben Urich." Peter says.

Norman smiles in a disturbing way, almost as if he's wearing his goblin mask, "Oh good you do know him. Do you know what the case is about?"

"Everyone at the Bugle knows." Peter admits, "You're suing him for writing that book about you; but what's that got to do with me?"

Norman gets to the point at last, "You, Peter, I want to convince him to just pay me. To keep it out of the courts."

Matt responses to this, "Mr Osborn, you may remember that I was the prosecutor on your case. I know for a fact that you were the Green Goblin, and that every word in My Urich's book is true. Furthermore my client will not be involved in any kind of blackmail."

_Yeah, go Matt. Take that Gobby._

Norman, surprisingly calm says, "Who said anything about blackmail; I'm simply asking one Bugle employee to talk to another. To convince him to do what's in his best interests."

With that Matt stands up, "This meeting is over."

Norman pleads, with a sense of desperation, "Wait. Ok forget that. Wait, it's about my son."

Peter stops, and turns around, "Harry? What about him."

"Please sit." Norman says, seeming to genuinely care about Harry.

Peter and Matt sit.

"You're Harry's best friend, aren't you?"

"I was" Peter admits, "But these days he's not talking to me."


	6. Chapter 5

3 days ago.

For the first time in a few weeks Peter checks in to the Ravencroft Institute to visit Harry. Unsure of how inviting Harry will be, he's anxious and hopeful that he'll happy to see him; but when he gets to his room he finds Harry in a less than friendly mood. Harry's a reading a book as Peter walks in, he doesn't look up.

"Hey Harry." Peter says but Harry ignores him, and continues to read.

"Come on Harry, you can't keep blaming me for this. I didn't do anything."

He's ignored again.

Hoping to get a response, even a negative one, Peter says,

"I'm going to ask Gwen to marry me." It worked, Harry froze then coldly said,

"Are you sure? I don't think MJ would like that."

"Come on. Not this again."

Peter remembers the night it started as if it were last night. It was 2 years earlier at Harry and Peter's apartment. Peter and Mary Jane are on the sofa making out. Harry coming home walks in and sees them. He storms off. Peter and MJ get up and Peter goes after him and.. _Hold on. Back up. That not really how it happened. Well.. it is; but there more to it than that. You see about 5 minute before that, I was on the phone with Gwen. _

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah."

"2 weeks, can't wait."

"Definitely, when you get back we'll have everyone here."

"Me, Harry, MJ, Flash, Sally, Hobbie, Kong, the whole gang."

"Ok, well see you in 2 weeks."

MJ walks out of Harry's room

"Love you."

"Gwen?" She asks, as Peter hangs up.

"Actually it was Flash."

"Haha. Where is she?"

Peter sits on the sofa, "Toronto. We were just saying we gotta throw her a party when she gets back."

As she sits next to Peter she says, "Oh definitely, we're waaaay over due for a party. I bet you're missing her."

"Yeah, hanging for her to get back."

Mary Jane leans into him, says, "Don't worry, I'll keep you company til she gets back." and kisses him.

Harry walks in the front door and sees them. He storms off. Peter pushes Mary Jane away and chases after Harry. _See? I told you there was more to it. So then.._

Peter chases Harry down the hallway, "Harry wait. Let me explain"

"Explain what Pete? Explain why the minute Gwen's out of the country you moved in on Mary Jane? Ok let's hear it." Waiting for the elevator Peter tries to explain.

"I didn't kiss her Harry, she kissed me. You walked in before I had a chance to react."

Now screaming in fury the whole floor can hear what's happening, "So my girlfriend's in love with my best friend; much better."

Peter's trying to be calm but it's clear that Harry just isn't ready to yet, "She's not in love with me Harr, I don't know why she kissed me."

"I'm not blind Pete, I've seen the way she looks at you. She's been trying to steal you from Gwen the whole time we've been together."

"That's not true Harry, you know that."

"Don't pretend like you haven't enjoyed it. Ah forget it, I'm out of here."

Harry gives up on the elevator and goes down the stairs. Peter goes back to the apartment, as chasing Harry won't solve anything right now.

He gets back to the apartment and MJ says, "He's right Pete, I love you."

_This was news to me. I had a talk with MJ; but what's important is what happened later. It was about 6 hours later that Harry came back home. MJ had gone and I was... Well I was fighting Doctor Octopus. But the point is I was out. Maybe if I was home things would have been different._

Harry is in the bathroom, looking into the mirror. He looks down at his hand. He is holding some pills. He looks into the mirror again, and takes the pills.

3 days ago. Harry's room at Ravencroft.

_If I was home that night we may not have ended up here._

"You can't keep blaming me for what happened, Harry."

"Why not? It's your fault I'm in here."


End file.
